About Me

I'm a Boyd's Bear who is traveling around to classrooms, museums and battlefields learning about the American Civil War. I was created by a student from St. Patrick School in Carlisle, Pa. I share what I'm learning here on my blog and via Twitter and Flickr. If you would like to learn more about me, please visit http://www.civilwarsallie.com

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

During one of my recent visits to Gettysburg, I had an opportunity to visit the Gettysburg Train Station. This is the train station where President Lincoln arrived prior to giving his famous speech.

Here I am just outside of the station with a bust of President Lincoln and near a plaque describing the building.

According to a nice volunteer at the station, I learned that the station was built between 1858 and 1859 because in 1857 the first passenger trains came into Gettysburg. The original passenger station had two-stories with waiting rooms on both floors. The rooms were separated so that women and children would use one and men would use the other. There is also a spiral staircase in the center of one of the rooms. Here are some photos of a model of the original train station. You can see how the outside looked and also the two waiting rooms.

During the battle, the train station was used as a field hospital and the cupola was used as an observation point so commanders could see what was happening during the fighting.

On November 18, 1863 around 6pm, President Lincoln arrived at this train station from Washington. From here, he would walk a block up the street to the home of David Wills. Here is a photo looking down onto the original loading platform where President Lincoln would have walked.

So, the next time you are in Gettysburg, be sure to stop by the train station.

Monday, August 24, 2009

I arrived in Jacksonville Arkansas today and the weather is beautiful! I'm told it is usually hot and humid in Arkansas in August so I guess I lucked out. I'm staying at the Jacksonville Museum of Military History where I'm learning all about the military history that took place in this area. Some of the history dates back before the Civil War including the building of Military Road and the Indian Removal to Oklahoma. Of particular interest to Civil War Buffs I'll be learning about the Battle of Reed's Bridge which took place in Jacksonville Arkansas 136 years ago on September 10th. Tomorrow I'll be helping the guys that are sprucing up the Vietnam Era plane, the F-105. It's on display outside the museum. The dedication for the F-105 is Sept 29th so we have to hurry. Wednesday I'll be going out to Reed's Bridge Battle Site to meet some re-enactors and explore the battle site first hand. On Thursday I get to fly a on a C-130!!! I'm so lucky I arrived when I did so I could hitch a ride. Not many people get to ride on a C-130 and this is the newest model! I'll being leaving from the Little Rock Air Force Base at 6:45 in the morning and flying down to Marietta Georgia where they make C-130s. The Little Rock Air Force Base is located in Jacksonville Arkansas and it is the largest C-130 base in the world! People come from all over the world to Jacksonville Arkansas to learn how to fly C-130s If you want to learn how to fly a C-130 you have to come to Jacksonville Arkansas. Well, I need to get my things put away and get some lunch. We'll talk more later.Love Sallie

Friday, August 21, 2009

The Clara Barton Camp

While visiting the Clara Barton Birthplace in North Oxford, MA, I also learned about the Clara Barton Camp which surrounds Clara's childhood home. The Clara Barton Camp is owned and operated by the Barton Center for Diabetes Education, Inc. The camp is for girls who have Type I diabetes. The Barton Center also runs Camp Joslin, a camp for boys with Type I diabetes in the neighboring town of Charlton.

Everyone at camp has a lot of fun. This is one of the cabins at the Clara Barton Camp.

This is the pond where campers can swim.

There are a lot of trees to climb at the Clara Barton Camp.

Clara Barton is not the only important person that was born in Oxford. Dr. Elliot P. Joslin, who was also born in Oxford, MA, became one of the first physicians to use insulin to save the lives of children with diabetes. Dr. Joslin helped create the Clara Barton Camp and Camp Joslin. Here is a picture of Dr. Joslin.

I made a lot of new friends at the Clara Barton Camp. I will post some more pictures tomorrow.

Yesterday I toured the town of Oxford. During the Civil War, many men from Oxford volunteered to serve with the Union Army. Unfortunately, many Oxford men also died during the war. Oxford's Town Hall was built to honor the town's Civil War soldiers. Here are some photos of Oxford's Town Hall.

As you enter the building, several large plaques list the men from Oxford who died during the Civil War.

Several men from Oxford died at the Confederate Prison in Andersonville, GA. After the war, Clara helped identify the men buried at Andersonville and helped create the cemetery there. Here are two men from Oxford who died at Andersonville. I wonder if Clara knew them?

Everyone in Oxford is proud that Clara Barton was born here. Even the Oxford Police Department honors Clara Barton.

There is also an elementary school in town named after Clara.

Clara Barton is buried in North Cemetery in Oxford. She is buried with her parents and brothers and sisters.

In my next blog entry I will tell you about the Clara Barton Camp in North Oxford.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

I've had another busy day at the Clara Barton Birthplace Museum in North Oxford, MA.

Clara Barton became famous during the Civil War by collecting supplies for the soldiers and nursing wounded men on the battlefield. After the war was over, Clara opened a Missing Soldiers Office to help families find missing loved ones. During the war, many soldiers were buried in unmarked graves. Clara helped families find missing soldiers by publishing lists of the missing men. The photo below shows me looking at one of Clara's lists of missing men in the museum.

Clara Barton also founded the American Red Cross in 1881. Clara responded to many natural disasters in America during her 23 years as President of the American Red Cross. She delivered relief supplies to victims of Mississippi River floods in the 1880s and to the people of Galveston, Texas after a hurricane in 1900. Clara also provided relief and medical care to American soldiers in Cuba during the Spanish-American War.

Clara Barton was a very busy woman who continued to help others well into her 80s. Just reading about all of Miss Barton's accomplishments makes me tired.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Today I toured the Clara Barton Birthplace Museum in North Oxford, MA. It was really exciting to see the home where Clara Barton, "The Angel of the Battlefield," was born. The museum has many artifacts that actually belonged to Miss Barton, including the field desk that she used during the Civil War.

That's me sitting on Clara's field desk! Clara wrote a lot of letters to her family and friends during the Civil War. She also wrote letters for wounded soldiers.

Clara's childhood home is almost 200 years old - it was built about 1818. Clara's father, Stephen Barton, was a farmer who raised horses, cows and chickens. Clara learned to ride a horse without a saddle at the age of 5.

Here is a picture of me sitting on the front step of Clara Barton's Birthplace.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

In addition to going to Ford's Theatre, I found the place where Clara Barton worked to find missing soldiers. I loved seeing the place where Clara worked. It inspires me and my friend Sarah to do the same. Here Clara Barton found 22,000 men from the war. This is also why Clara Barton went down to Andersonville Prison in Georgia. Did you know that when some workers took down a wall in the building, they found documents handwritten by Miss. Clara Barton herself.

Here is the sign to show people where she worked

Here is the sign in front of the building

If you ever go to D.C., see if you can find this place. If you want to learn more about Clara Barton go t0 my blog and read these posts.Till next time.............

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Although it was so hot, we walked all the way to the Stone Bridge.This was a bridge over the Warrenton Turnpike.This bridge was destroyed after the 1st Bull Run battle, and reconstructed in 1962.Many of the Union troops under First Division, First Brigade (Col Keyes) fought across the bridge.It was also the place where the Union troops retreated at the end of both 1st and 2nd Bull Run.

I hope you enjoyed my visit to Manassas, I know I did and I really learned tons of things.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

From Henry Hill, we walked down to the Stone House, which was used during both 1st and 2nd Bull Run battles.It was used as a hospital or headquarters for the armies.Way before the war is was a local tavern.I went into the house and tavern part but they said I was too young to drink, and only gave me Root Bear.